The XSR military interceptor is the fastest boat ever built and is set to take
to the water in the battle against pirates and drug smugglers.

The British-designed vessel travels at almost 100mph, carries a retractable heavy machine gun and would not look out of place in a 007 film.

With a maximum speed of 85 knots (97mph) and carrying a .50 calibre machine gun hidden under the deck, the boat will be able to overhaul “go-fast” drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and pirate ships off the coast of Somalia.

The vessel is part of a raft of new equipment being shown for the first time at the Defence and Security Exhibition in London.

Hailed as the world’s “most advanced performance and pursuit” vessel the XSR will allow navies to deploy special forces on enemy shores, anti-piracy and smuggling patrols, protecting oil platforms and to intercept unidentified vessels in potential terror attacks.

When the XSR comes within range of an enemy ship the machine gun emerges from the forward hull and is trained on the target using a remote controlled system from the cockpit.

In an era where potential adversaries such as Iran use the “swarm” tactic of multiple fast boats attacking a single big target, the XSR can operate as a counter to the threat.

During the Cornwall incident in 2007 the 14 Royal Navy personnel were taken prisoner by the Iranians partly because their small boats were outgunned and slower than their Iranian captors.

The Royal Navy and other international fleets will be able to examine the boat, co- designed by the part-Government owned company QinetiQ, at the Excel centre in London Docklands.

The XSR, which has done 30,000 nautical miles of testing, can be launched and recovered from a warship and the basic cost is estimated at £1.5 million.

The makers, XSMG World, said they had created “a truly unique vessel that redefines the operational boundaries of high speed intercept, pursuit and patrol in coastal waters”.

“The XSR is the most advanced product technically in its class by a significant margin.”

The composite hull, that includes Kevlar armour, gives increased strength with a lighter weight and the crew sit in “shock mitigation” seats.

In addition to the main machine gun, other weapons can be mounted in the rear cockpit and the boat comes equipped with a small galley, fridge and stretcher positions. The larger version has four bunks, can carry up to 12 additional passengers and has a range of 1,000 nautical miles.

The XSR has a “revolutionary” stabilisation system – Transverse Roll Attenuation and Stabilisation Equipment – which is said to offer “exceptional control in high-speed turns” and greater stability in extreme weather conditions. Inflatable tubes absorb the heavy impact of high speed on the hull and the stability allows for greater accuracy for the weapons.